Netherfield Park Quarantined

by Schertz, Melanie

  “But you are a married woman now, Jane. You must do what is best for you and your family, not what Mamma wishes.” Elizabeth stated clearly. “If Mamma had her wishes, she would have moved here and taken up residence in the main house as soon as she heard we were with child. She writes to me constantly, hinting that I must need my mother’s advice and comfort in this time of change. I have politely ignored her for the time being, but I know there will be a time soon when I will need to address her demands to come. Though she is free to advise me all she wishes, I do not have to take her advice and do as she insists.”

  “How is William adjusting to his impending fatherhood?” Elizabeth giggled. “He is over the moon delighted. He has daily chats with our child, has bought enough toys and clothing for at least a dozen children, and is a mother hen on everything I do. But I cannot imagine a happier time in our lives. My husband has determined the type of father he wishes to be, and is looking forward to our child being born so he can hold the babe himself. William said it is unfair that I have such a connection to the babe, feeling every move and sensation. There are times I wish he could trade places with me. Especially when my stomach was queasy and when I have to refresh myself frequently.”

  “Will you have a midwife or has William sent for a physician to attend you?” “Actually, he insisted on both. Mrs Buckley will see to me with regular visits to ensure my health and that of the child. Then, at the end of July, a physician from Town will be arriving to stay until a fortnight after the birth.”

  Jane smiled. “That sounds like William, ensure all will be well.” ~~ ** ~~

  By the end of June, Jane and Bingley had purchased Thornhill and were moved into their new home. Elizabeth was thrilled to have her dearest sister so close, and Jane made frequent visits to Pemberley.

  When the Bingleys’ moved, Mrs Phillips decided to move with her niece and nephew. She was fed up with her sister’s behavior, especially her wailings over her eldest moving from Netherfield and her next born not having extended an invitation for Mrs Bennet to stay at Pemberley. Mrs Phillips had been close to Jane, so when Jane and Bingley offered for her to join them, she jumped at the chance. It also gave the widowed aunt a chance to spend time with Elizabeth as well. Never having had children of her own, Mrs Phillips was pleased to be able to be a part of her niece’s life at such a time.

  This added to Mrs Bennet’s frustration with her eldest two daughters. To appease their mother’s nerves, Elizabeth agreed to host her parents and sisters at Pemberley beginning the first week of August, and they would remain until a fortnight after the babe was born. Mr Bennet was excited to see the famous library of Darcy’s, planning to spend most of his time there.

  ~~ ** ~~ The month of July became one of the wettest in Derbyshire. The rains continued to come, causing many to worry for the crops, hoping the rains would not wash away the plants. Darcy rode out each day, checking on the conditions of the estate, ensuring to the safety of his tenants and staff.

  An urgent message arrived one morning in the third week of July. Bingley was in dire need of his brother’s assistance, as the bridge over the river which flowed through Thornhill had collapsed and several tenant houses were flooding. The collapsed bridge was causing the already high river waters to flow out of control. He also stated Jane and Mrs Phillips were preparing to come to Pemberley, as the main house at Thornhill was in danger if the waters continued to rise.

  Though hesitant to leave his wife for such a long period, as he was certain it would take days to manage all the problems, and he prayed that Pemberley would not suffer similar. He spoke to his wife immediately.

  “You must go to Thornhill, Charles needs you. I am sure he would not have sent for you, knowing your desire to be with me at this time. There is no reason to worry, I will be fine. As large as I am, I cannot walk very far, so I will most likely spend most of my time in our rooms. Jane and Aunt Phillips will be here to keep me company. But you must promise me to be careful and also to watch over Charles.” Elizabeth said as she kissed her husband’s cheek. Darcy’s arms wound around her, holding her as close as her swollen midsection would allow.

  “We will be fine, my love. Are you sure you are well? You are sure everything is well with the baby?” “Yes, William. We are more than fine. Your child has been extremely active today, and we still have three weeks before the baby is expected. So go, help our brother.”

  Darcy nodded his head, though he was loathed to release his hold on his wife. “Please, be careful, Lizzy. Do nothing which could harm you and our daughter.”

  “We will be safe and sound here. Now go.”

  ~~ ** ~~

  Jane and Mrs Phillips arrived shortly after Darcy had left. Tears were welling in Jane’s eyes as she informed her sister that one of the tenants of Thornhill had died when attempting to release the pieces of bridge which were damming the river, causing the flooding.

  “It was horrible, Lizzy. Mr Leighland was newly married, and now his wife is widowed. And to think, my own husband is out there, attempting to fix the problems. I could not stand to lose Charles, it would be too much for my heart to take.”

  “Jane, dear, your sister is not in a condition in which such discussions should be held. Remember, her husband is with yours.” Mrs Phillips gently stated to her eldest niece. “Now, instead of worrying unnecessarily, let us discuss the preparations for the baby. Lizzy, have you finished the quilt you were making with Mrs Reynolds?”

  “Yes, it turned out very nice. I am so grateful for her help, or I would never have been able to do such stitching. Mrs Reynolds is wonderful with a needle and taught me some new stitches. If you would like, we can go to the nursery and I will show you the new items.”

  “Has your husband bought even more for the baby?” Mrs Phillips laughed. “I cannot imagine any child needing all William has purchased for your babe. I realize he is hoping for more children in the future, but goodness, you could start your own toy emporium with all he has purchased.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “I believe he is planning to live vicariously through our children. His parents were the standard society parents. They loved him and Georgiana, there is no doubt about that. But they were the sort that the day to day raising of children was left to the servants. Once William was old enough to spend time with his father, he was off to school. It was difficult, as he was extremely shy around strangers.”

  “I am pleased we were a part of Mamma and Papa’s daily life.” Jane stated. “I would never leave my child to the servants, to expect them to pretty much raise the child for me. No, I wish to be a part of my children’s lives.”

  “So do I.” Elizabeth said as she patted her belly. The ladies made their way to the nursery, before joining each other in the private sitting room which was connected to the Mistress’s suite. Mrs Reynolds had the midday meal sent to the sitting room, allowing the ladies to eat in comfort.

  After their meal, Jane and Elizabeth decided to rest. Mrs Phillips decided to find a book to read, taking it to the music room to enjoy it. ~~ ** ~~ The rising water was continuing to cause frustration for all at Thornhill. The water was beginning to enter the main house. Besides the death of Mr Leighland, two other men were injured. And the rain continued to fall, bringing more and more water to add to the problem.

  It had been nearly two days since Darcy arrived, and still, the problem grew. Many of the women and children of Thornhill estate were evacuated to Pemberley, where they were hosted in the ballroom, which was set up with cots and bedding on the floor. Some of Pemberley’s tenants were also struggling with flooding, and were required to evacuate their homes, as the steward searched for ways to prevent further damage. The ladies were kept busy seeing to food and drinks at the ready when the men came in to rest from their seemingly endless task of battling the raging waters.

  The other duty for the ladies was to keep the children from boredom. Elizabeth smiled at the thought of the endless supply of games and toys which were in the house, though she knew her husband
had planned the items for another purpose. Knowing that many of the children, especially those from Thornhill, had either lost or were in jeopardy of losing all of their worldly possessions, Elizabeth felt justified in giving such simple items which would give some comfort or joy to the children. Laughing to herself, she knew it would also give her husband an excuse to shop for more items for their babe.

  ~~ ** ~~ Darcy was growing exhausted by the end of the third day, and there was still no end in sight for the flooding. There were several inches of water in the first floor of Thornhill’s main house, and most of the tenants were evacuated from their homes. The devoted servants who remained at Thornhill, prepared what food they could on the second floor of the house, utilizing the hearth in the dining room to cook. Once Darcy and Bingley had devoured the helping of stew they had been given, the two men prepared to return to the river, as they were still determining the best way to remove the debris which was causing the course of the river to flow upon the land.

  One of the men had just returned from Pemberley, where the steward had given him some of the dynamite which was carefully stored at the estate. Darcy had ordered it as they were planning to remove some tree stumps with the explosives.

  The careful placement of the dynamite was discussed, and then the operation began. When the sticks of dynamite were in place, the fuses were lit and covered from the rain. The men then took cover behind a nearby boulder. Suddenly, Darcy heard a deafening sound, as a blinding light robbed him of his sight. Lightning had struck a large tree behind the boulder, splitting the tree in half. Half of the tree came crashing down, directly towards the men and the boulder. Bingley jumped away, though he did not realize his brother had his senses disoriented by the lightning. The tree landed against Darcy, knocking him down, pinning him between the boulder and the tree.

  “Will, can you hear me? Are you injured?” Bingley cried out as he attempted to reach his brother. The men found Darcy, unconscious, with blood seeping from a wound on his forehead. Everyone began searching for a way to move the tree off Darcy, and finally determined to hitch two horses to several branches and have them pull. With the horses pulling, Bingley and three other men lifted some of the limbs to keep them from thrashing Darcy as they were pulled from his body.

  Once he was freed, the men quickly carried him to the stable area, loading Darcy into a carriage before Bingley jumped inside. The carriage was quickly on its way.

  Just prior to their arrival at Pemberley, Darcy regained his senses. “Where are we?” He asked as he looked around. “We are on our way to Pemberley. You need to be looked at by the physician, and there is no place at Thornhill to take care of you.” Bingley replied.

  Feeling his forehead, Darcy saw the blood on his hand. “No, you cannot allow Lizzy to see me until I am cleaned up. She will be panicked if she sees I have been injured.”

  “William, we have no alternative but to take you to Pemberley. Lizzy will be fine, she is strong, and your injuries do not appear to be life threatening. A knock on the head and a few cuts which will need tending is all that we have found so far.”

  “I feel as if a house fell on top of me.” Darcy exclaimed.

  “No, only a tree. And not even the full tree, though it was a large enough section to do some damage.” Bingley smiled as he replied.

  “Did the dynamite explode as planned? Was the river blockage cleared?” “We were so busy with you that I did not even notice. I will send someone to Thornhill after we make sure you are going to be well. You scared the daylights out of me, Brother. Do not ever do something like that again.”

  Darcy smiled vaguely. “Forgive me, in the future, I will do my best to stay away from trees which may be struck by lightning.” The carriage came to a complete halt and the door opened, with two footmen stepping forward to assist the inhabitants. The driver of the carriage called out that Mr Darcy had been injured, causing the Pemberley staff to jump into motion. One footman was sent to Mrs Reynolds, to inform her of the situation, as the other assisted Bingley in aiding Darcy to walk up the steps of his home. Once inside, Darcy realized there was a commotion happening on the second floor. Mrs Reynolds came rushing downstairs with the footman close behind her.

  “Master William, what have you done to yourself? My goodness, you are quite a mess.”

  “Yes, Mrs Reynolds, and I wish to keep this from my wife until I have had time to clean up. I do not want Elizabeth to be upset.” Darcy stated. A sudden look on his housekeeper’s face chilled Darcy. Mrs Reynolds did not know what to tell her employer. “Well, I…I believe we can take you to your rooms…Mrs Darcy will not see you there…you will be able to clean up and…I will send the physician to you.”

  “Mrs Reynolds, what is going on? Where is my wife? Is something wrong with her or the babe?”

  “Oh, ahh…well…” A chilling scream could be heard, coming from his wife’s bedchambers. Unable to walk on his own, Darcy began barking orders to be taken to his wife immediately.

  “Master William, your wife will be terrified if she sees you in such a state. You do not wish to frighten her, not at this moment. Please, Sir, it is best for you to go to your rooms and be cleaned up.”

  “What is happening?” Darcy nearly screamed as he heard loud, painful moans.

  “Mrs Lizzy is in the midst of delivering the babe. Her labors came upon her just a few hours ago.” Darcy shook his head, causing himself pain. “It is too soon, we have weeks before the babe is due. It is too soon. Something is wrong, please, I must see her.”

  “Sir, in her condition, if you were to enter the room, she would be in such a tizzy, you would do more harm than good. Mrs Bingley and Mrs Phillips are in the room with her, as is the midwife. The physician is in the hallway, he has not been needed, which is a good thing.” Mrs Reynolds led the way up the stairs as the men aided Darcy. Just outside his wife’s door, Darcy heard more moaning.

  Seeing the physician standing in the hall, Darcy begged the man for information.

  “Mr Darcy, from the looks of things, I had best attend to your needs while I await word from the midwife.”

  “It is too early for the babe. Something must be wrong. You should be at my wife’s side, I cannot lose her.” Darcy begged. “Sir, if I am needed, the midwife will let me know immediately. So far, there has been no need for me in the room. Babies are born on their time schedule, not when we expect them. As large as your wife is, I would say she might have been further along than was believed.”

  The men entered the Master’s suite, placing Darcy on the bed. Mrs Reynolds and Foster assisted Bingley in divesting Darcy of his clothing, while fresh water, towels, and bandages were brought to the room. The physician insisted on stitching the cut on Darcy’s right forearm and one on his forehead, so, after they were cleaned, the physician went straight away to work. All the while, they could all hear the cries from Elizabeth in the next rooms. Darcy’s attitude was progressively becoming worse, with his barking orders. Mrs Reynolds went to check on Elizabeth’s progress, and was gone for quite some time, adding to Darcy’s temper.

  What seemed like an eternity later, Mrs Reynolds entered the room, tears visible streaking down her cheeks. Instantly, Darcy made to leave his bed and go to his wife, fear overwhelming him. Bingley and Foster grabbed hold of Darcy’s shoulders, keeping him on the bed while he was screaming for his wife.

  “Master William, calm yourself. I was coming to tell you your wife wishes to see you. She is worried for your well-being and is fretting something fearsome. The midwife is concerned for Mrs Lizzy as the strain on her is not good.”

  “She is alive?” Darcy calmed slightly. “She is well?” “As well as any woman can be in the throes of delivering a babe into the world.” Mrs Reynolds chuckled. “But if she is worrying about you, she is not concentrating on what she needs to do to expel the child. You must refrain from shouting and crying out, for it is causing distress for your wife.”

  “Please, may I go to her? I wish to see her for myself.” Darcy begg
ed. Everyone in the room exchanged glances. Finally, Mrs Reynolds spoke. “Since you have been cleaned and stitched up, let us get you into a fresh set of clothes and then you may see your wife. It will do both of you a world of good, and you will both be able to calm yourselves.”

  ~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~

  Chapter 24 Darcy was quickly dressed in shirtsleeves and breeches, and was assisted to the door of his wife’s room. Mrs Reynolds accompanied him into the room, leaving the other men in the Master’s bedchambers.

  Elizabeth was in throes of another contraction, crying out in pain, as her husband entered the room. Mrs Reynolds felt her master cringe when he heard his wife. Softly she spoke to him. “Tis natural for a woman giving birth to cry out, it helps to strengthen her to push the infant out of her body when the time is right. Have no fear.”

  Nodding his head, Darcy continued forward, his eyes never varying from his goal. Seeing Elizabeth on her bed, the midwife checking her progress, with Jane and Mrs Phillips seated on either side of the bed, Darcy could tell she was exhausted. Perspiration was beaded on her face, as she endured each wave of pain. After one painful experience, Elizabeth was gasping for air.

  “Jane, please, tell me if William is well. I am so worried. I am sure he is worse than anyone will tell me.” Elizabeth spoke quickly. “My love, I am well.” Darcy stated, garnering his wife’s attention. “There is no need to fret over me. All of your strength needs to be spent on you and our babe. Are you well?” Mrs Phillips vacated her chair, allowing Darcy to take her place at Elizabeth’s side.

  “William, oh, look at you. You are injured.” Elizabeth began to speak as another contraction took hold.

  “I am well, my dearest love. And much more so, being here at your side.”

  “Mr Darcy, you should leave the room now. It is not proper for you to be here.” Mrs Rook, the midwife, declared.